The Philippine Coast Guard is in talks with Israel Shipyards on the Shaldag Mk II patrol craft. The service has requirements for a new class of fast interceptors within the 25-35 m range (photo : Jane’s)The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is considering the Shaldag Mk II patrol craft to fulfil the service’s outstanding requirement for a new class of 25-35 m interception vessels.A senior service official who spoke to Jane’s at the IMDEX 2019 defence and maritime exhibition has confirmed that a meeting between PCG leaders and Israel Shipyards was held at the same event on 14 May. The meeting was held to understand the vessel type further, including whether it can be configured according to PCG preferences.“Some of the matters that we discussed include the types of engines that can be fitted on the Shaldag Mk II. We very much prefer the brands of engines that are currently already in service on our coastguard boats, so we wanted more confirmation on this,” said the senior official.Other matters that were discussed are namely the scope of possible government-to-government programmes that can be utilised between the two countries should a procurement programme materialise, including funding programmes, payment plans, co-build programmes, and transfer-of-technology arrangements.The Shaldag Mk II has an overall length of 24.8 m, a maximum beam of 6 m, and a maximum draught of 1.2 m. The vessel type displaces about 58 tonnes, and is powered by MTU engines in the original configuration. The patrol craft is propelled by waterjets, and can attain a maximum speed of over 40 kt with a standard range of 650 n miles at 32 kt.(Jane’s)